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Description
Tribal bands of hobgoblins (30 to
300 warriors) are likely to be encountered nearly anywhere as these
creatures are equally at home in sunlight or in subterranean
settings. They fight well in full daylight and have infravision
(treat as IR scope; short range = 3 meters) so as to be able to
fight in total darkness as well. Each tribe is jealous of its
status, and if two tribal bands of hobgoblins meet there will be at
least catcalls and derision (85 percent) and open fighting might
break out (15 percent), unless a strong leader is on hand to control
them. Similarly, the hobgoblin will bully nearby
orcs or
goblins given the
opportunity, and hobgoblin leaders are sometimes used in bodies of
goblins or
orcish troops to keep
them in order and drive them into battle.
The better known (more infamous)
hobgoblin tribes include: rippers, leg breakers, skull smashers,
flesh renders, marrow suckers, flayers, and slow killers.
For every 20 hobgoblins in
a group there is a leader (sergeant) and two assistants (corporals).
If 100 or more hobgoblins are encountered there will be the
following additional figures with the group: a sub-chief. If
hobgoblins are encountered in their lair there will also be, in
addition, a chief
and 5-20 bodyguards.
There are females and young equal to 150 percent and 300 percent
respectively of the number of males.
Leaders and their bodyguards will
be the most experienced members of the group.
Hobgoblin lairs are
underground 80 percent of the time and above ground 20 percent of
the time. In the latter case the lair will be a village with a
ditch, rampart and palisade of stones, earth and logs. There will be
two gates and 3-6 guard towers. The dwellings inside are usually a
mixture of wood and stone. As they seek to build on the ruins of
human or other more sophisticated creatures, a hobgoblin village may
be of better construction than indicated, possibly having solid
stone works, buildings or a keep. In any event, hobgoblins will have
four artillery pieces and one support weapon (appropriate to the
tech level) per 50 warriors. If the lair is underground, there is a
60 percent chance that there will from 2-12
carnivorous apes as guards.
If
elves are nearby, hobgoblins
will attack them in preference to any other troops because of the
great hatred they bear.
Hobgoblins are highly adept at
mining,
Most hobgoblins speak
goblin,
orcish and rudimentary
tongue of
carnivorous apes in addition to their racial tongue.
Twenty percent of hobgoblins speak the common tongue as well.
Description:
The hairy hides of hobgoblins range from dark reddish-brown to gray
black. Their faces are bright red-orange to red. Large males will
have blue-red noses. Eyes are either yellowish or dark brown. Teeth
are yellowed white to dirty yellow. Hobgoblins favor bright, bloody
colors and black leather. They keep their weapons and equipment well
cleaned and polished. Hobgoblins live for 60 years.
Hobgoblins typically lag between
zero and one tech level behind the world's general tech level. The
will be armed and armored accordingly.
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